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Timberwolves swing massive LaMelo Ball trade with Hornets
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- Timberwolves swing massive LaMelo Ball trade with Hornets
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The Minnesota Timberwolves have pulled off a shocking blockbuster trade right after the 2026 NBA Draft by acquiring star point guard LaMelo Ball from the Charlotte Hornets , according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
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The Timberwolves are sending Naz Reid , a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, first-round pick swaps in 2028, 2029 and 2030, and second-round picks in 2029, 2032 and 2033. Josh Green is going to Minnesota along with Ball.
Shams broke the news right after the draft on Wednesday night that the Hornets were fielding trade offers for their franchise point guard, and The Stein Line quickly reported that the Timberwolves and Toronto Raptors were the two top suitors. The Stein Line referred to Minnesota's interest as "undeniably serious," and now the trade is done.
Marc Stein reports this trade is expected to be folded into the Timberwolves' three-team Julius Randle deal with the Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls .
Why Timberwolves, Hornets made this trade
Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
The Timberwolves have been big-game hunting for a while, making high-profile pushes for stars such as Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo in recent years. Minnesota fell out of the running for Antetokounmpo this offseason before he was ultimately dealt to the Miami Heat , with the focus turning to lead guards. Names like Kyrie Irving , Derrick White and even Jaylen Brown were bandied about before this Ball trade.
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There have been rumblings of Anthony Edwards' frustrations with the roster since the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, so Tim Connelly was feeling some pressure to make a big splash. The Randle trade was the first step, followed by the $112 million deal to bring back Ayo Dosunmu , and now this Ball trade is the real blockbuster.
Minnesota made consecutive Western Conference Finals appearances before losing in the second round to the San Antonio Spurs this past season. The No. 1 and No. 3 picks from the 2020 NBA Draft will team up to try to get over the hump to reach the franchise's first NBA Finals.
As for the Hornets, this is a stunning pivot after a successful 2025-26 season saw them bounce back from a rough start to become one of the best teams in the NBA in the second half of the season . Charlotte finished 44-38 for the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference and won a thrilling play-in game against the Miami Heat. While the Hornets' season ended in disappointment with an ugly loss to the Orlando Magic , this franchise seemed on the rise with Ball and Rookie of the Year runner-up Kon Knueppel leading the backcourt.
Ball had received criticism in the past for not impacting winning and always being hurt, but he seemingly answered a lot of those questions this season by playing 72 games and getting Charlotte to those 44 wins. The Hornets were a dominant offensive team with Ball on the court as he averaged 20.1 points, 7.1 assists and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 40.7% from the field and 36.8% from 3-point range. While not the most efficient scorer himself, the 24-year-old drove extremely efficient offense, with Charlotte ranking No. 5 in offensive efficiency by the end of the season.
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There were Miles Bridges-Domantas Sabonis trade rumors recently as Charlotte searched for center upgrades, but those talks didn't go anywhere. The Hornets now have their center in Reid, but it took trading their star point guard to do it.
Related: Timberwolves rumors: Insider teases more moves after LaMelo Ball, but 1 trade won't happen
Related: Timberwolves' LaMelo Ball trade is boom-or-bust proposition with Anthony Edwards pressure ramping up
